


No Running

by ImpishFics



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, M/M, Swimmer Lee Jeno, alternate universe where jeno is good with kids, chenji are children, wow that a pre-established tag?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:00:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23788954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImpishFics/pseuds/ImpishFics
Summary: In his defense, ever since their family moved, Renjun has met what feels like fifty Mr. Lees, he had two different professors last term with the surname Lee, he has two friends with the surname Lee and he doesn’t even have that many friends. Not that he would admit that. But all that being said, all the odds in his favor it’s just his luck that Chenle’s Mr. Lee is Jeno Lee. As in Jeno Lee of cardigans and glasses and thousand yard stares in the library, Jeno Lee. Jeno Lee of crinkly eyed smiles and gently chastising Renjun for bringing his coffee into the library, but never asking him to throw it out. Jeno Lee who sits across from Renjun while they study sometimes, but not really talking besides the occasional hushed comment.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno
Comments: 42
Kudos: 264
Collections: nono birthday bash





	No Running

**Author's Note:**

  * For [c_onstellations](https://archiveofourown.org/users/c_onstellations/gifts).



> Prompt: NOREN renjun only knows jeno as the cute nerd he sees in the library, but one day when he sends his kid brother (chenle. he is five) to his weekend swimming classes he realizes that the cute nerd is also the hot swimming coach (is that a tattoo?) 
> 
> This is a gift for the lovely Rae! follow her [Twitter](https://twitter.com/_hwangtwt) it's truly incredible and check out her fics, i've had a lot of fun reading them! 
> 
> Rae:  
> 1) im very bad at fluff but i tried !!!!  
> 2) I triedddd to cater it to you but I have no idea if I was successful!!

Chenle is tugging on his arm and Renjun should  _ really  _ start going to the gym because a five year old tugging on his arm shouldn’t make him feel like his shoulder might dislocate. Or maybe Chenle is just freakishly strong for a five year old, Renjun wouldn’t put it past his little brother to have super powers. Five year olds shouldn’t be capable of being mysterious, especially not one that talks as much as Chenle, but somehow he manages. 

“Lele, you have,” Renjun checks his phone, “like eleven minutes until swim class starts there's no rush.” Chenle doesn't care, he bobbles along with his backpack full of his change of clothes for later his goggles and two clementines. 

“We gotta, gotta get there before Jisung!” Renjun doesn’t pretend to understand Chenle, but he picks up the pace. By the time Chenle turns the corner of the rec center to enter the pool area, Renjun is embarrassingly out of breath.

He tries to recover, “Lele where’s Mr. Lee, mom said I gotta sign you in.” Chenle nods, like this is very important serious business and speed walks off, above his head a sign boldly proclaims “No Running” but Renjun would argue Chenle’s aggressive speed walking isn’t much better. Renjun doesn’t spend a lot of time in pools, he doesn’t like the smell of chlorine, or the way noises echo, or the fluorescent lights. He also doesn’t know how to swim, and like in most areas of Renjun’s life, he'd rather perish than look like he doesn’t know what he’s doing. 

Renjun watches him zoom right up to a tall man with his back turned wearing red staff swim trunks and a white low slung tank top with “Staff” in bright red letters on the back, ah this must be the infamous Mr. Lee, he’s younger than Renjun thought. When Chenle crashes into his legs he bends down to speak to him, and then Chenle’s pointing one chubby finger right at Renjun and Mr. Lee turns to look and oh fuck. 

In his defense, ever since their family moved, Renjun has met what feels like fifty Mr. Lees, he had two different professors last term with the surname Lee, he has two friends with the surname Lee and he doesn’t even have that many friends. Not that he would admit that. But all that being said, all the odds in his favor it’s just his luck that Chenle’s Mr. Lee is Jeno Lee. As in Jeno Lee of cardigans and glasses and thousand yard stares in the library, Jeno Lee. Jeno Lee of crinkly eyed smiles and gently chastising Renjun for bringing his coffee into the library, but never asking him to throw it out. Jeno Lee who sits across from Renjun while they study sometimes, but not really talking besides the occasional hushed comment. 

Jeno follows the end of Chenle’s index finger and his eyes land on Renjun, he also looks shocked, but he recovers quickly, his lips turning up, his eyes becoming crescents as he waves. Renjun waves back, awkwardly. And then he’s standing, clipboard in one hand, Chenle’s hand in the other as Chenle tugs Jeno to him. 

“Hey.” 

“Hey!” Jeno says back, “I had no clue you were Chenle’s brother!” 

“I had no clue you were a swim instructor!” Renjun takes the clipboard and signs next to Chenle’s name. Jeno laughs, in the library he can’t laugh, neither of them can and they don’t have much reason too, they’re there to study. Well, Renjun’s studying, he never asks what Jeno does but he assumes he’s doing the same. In the library sometimes Jeno will blow a breath through his nose in a tiny huff and smile at Renjun when Renjun says something particularly snarky about a professor or another student, he doesn’t have to be quiet here. Jeno laughs, not particularly hard, but it's full, a big, bright sound that blends into the echoing voices of the pool. Shit, it's so pretty. 

“It’s not my major, but the cert was easy and I like kids.” Renjun can tell, as they’re talking, Jeno is letting Chenle twirl himself on Jeno’s arm, and doesn’t flinch when another child crashes into Jeno’s legs, he’s working, he’s busy, he’s a professional. Renjun hands the clipboard back to him. 

“I can tell, I won’t take any more of your time, I'll just.” He gestures to the bleachers where the parents and nannies for the kids in the class are gathered.

“Wait!” Jeno looks sort of embarrassed, “um, I actually gotta check your ID to make sure it matches the one listed for approved pick ups and drop-offs. Which is silly because I know you’re Renjun Huang, but it’s policy.” 

Renjun digs out his wallet, “Yeah, of course, sorry.” He hands Jeno his license and he remembers his photo while Jeno’s looking at it. Jeno looks up from the license as he hands it back to Renjun. 

“Pink, huh?” Now Renjun is the embarrassed one. 

“I was sixteen!”

Jeno laughs again, warm and bright, “I didn’t say anything! It’s cute.” Renjun doesn’t know what to say, so he jams his license in his pocket, and marches right up to the stands. He can hear Jeno laughing behind him, Renjun hides his smile in the collar of his jacket. 

He sits next to an older woman, maybe someone's grandma and checks his phone, no notifications. 

When he looks down, Jeno is no longer laughing at him, thank god, instead he’s helping a gaggle of maybe seven children put on swim caps, and sending them to the changing rooms to get their gear on. Chenle lets go of his arm long enough to grab another boy's hand and pull him to the locker room. Jeez, maybe he should talk with his brother about not showing affection through attempted shoulder dislocation.

Renjun’s eyes find Jeno again, he’s talking to what must be another staff member, she says something and he laughs, his eyes crinkling up again just like earlier. A woman comes down from the lifeguard stand and Jeno’s co-worker goes up. She has really pretty hair. Maybe it’s like Donghyuck’s hair, he thinks to himself consolingly, where it looks pretty but if you try and run your fingers through it it feels like Doritos. He snaps himself out of it, is he jealous? Of Jeno’s co-worker?

He looks back and Jeno has walked to the other side of the pool. He takes off his sandals, and then he’s slipping his shirt off and holy shit. Abs. Renjun was prepared for them, Jeno’s fit, he knew that there was a chance he would have abs. Abs are overrated anyway. What he wasn’t prepared for was the large swathes of ink covering the entirety of Jeno’s left oblique.

He couldn't tell what it was from this distance, something asymmetric and curly reaching towards his pecs. Jeno looks up, his eyes catching Renjun’s and he raises one dark eyebrow. Renjun looks away and thinks hard about leaving Chenle to find his own way home. His face is fuming, he can’t believe he just got caught checking Jeno Lee, philosophy and theology major, Jeno Lee out. He can’t believe Jeno has a tattoo. What the fuck. 

He opens his phone and swipes over to his messages. 

**From: renjunnie** (4:12) 

>is jeno lee hot???????

**From: mork** (4:13) 

> literally what?

**From: renjunnie** (4:13) 

> answer the question!!

**From: mork** (4:15) 

>like objectively, if I have to answer then I guess i would say yea spfoguhsfjphfds

>this is hyuck mark was malfunctioning bc he thought this was a trap

>obviously The Jeno Lee is hot, it’s Jeno Lee he’s like a demigod or sum shit. 

>are you just realizing this now???

**From: renjunnie** (4:17) 

> You’re Telling Me He’s Been Hot This Whole Time ?

**From: mork** (4:18) 

>you’re a whole idiot, everyone knows Jeno Lee is hot. 

>fuck I gotta go now marks pouting. 

Renjun clicks out of his messages and stares at his Twitter feed, not actually reading any of the tweets. Useless. His friends are useless. At least now the kids are back out, in their parade of swimsuits in every color, cartoon characters and patterns, and all wearing matching blue swim caps. A bunch of little baldies. It’s cute, Renjun can’t help snapping a photo of Chenle and the boy from before doing their stretches together, trying to touch each other’s toes instead of their own. The woman next to him speaks up, 

“Oh, you must be Chenle’s brother!” Renjun nods and she continues on, “I talk with your mother when she comes, aren't they just the sweetest?” She points to Chenle and the other boy, “Jisung really likes him, he talks about him all the time at home.” Oh, that boy is Jisung then, the reason they have to be early, the reason Chenle has two clementines, it’s sweet. 

“Chenle likes him too.” 

She smiles at him conspiratorially, like they’re both in on some big secret. “He’s a good kid.” Renjun nods and when he looks back they are finally getting in the water. Which means Jeno is getting in with them. 

Renjun does  _ not _ look at the easy way Jeno glides through the water, or the way his biceps do things when he pulls himself out of the pool to get kickboards. No, he doesn’t do that, he doesn’t even think about it, the idea has never crossed his mind, he’s better than that.

Instead he focuses on Chenle, he has his kicks down, and monkey airplane soldier? A piece of cake. He’s not very good at freestyle though, he pauses every few strokes to right himself and breathe before going back to swimming, it’s very ineffective. Jeno spots this and another instructor (fuck has there been another instructor this whole time?) gets in the water with the kids to practice more and do some mock relay races, while Jeno leads Chenle to a roped off lane for private lessons. 

Well now Renjun  _ has  _ to watch him. Jeno shows Chenle the form again, Chenle tries it, gets a few strokes in, turns his head to the side to breathe and then he’s up and treading water again, his voice crying out. Renjun can’t see from here, but he  _ knows _ Chenle must be crying or about to. Renjun stands and immediately starts picking his way through the diaper bags and totes to the stairs to comfort his brother. Jeno says something, a couple things it looks like, and by the time Renjun makes it to the bottom of the bleachers, to the door to the pool Chenle is laughing, holding onto his kickboard as he shrieks in delight, tears forgotten. Renjun breathes a sigh of relief, pausing at the entrance to the pool, Jeno looks up and his eyes meet Renjun’s. He smiles, apologetic and reassuring and kind and Renjun can’t help but smile back, he had been sure he was one second away from a Lele melt-down of epic proportions. 

Jeno looks a little surprised before he smiles brighter and turns back to Renjun’s little brother. Renjun returns his spot next to Jisung’s grandma, whom he confirms is in fact Jisung’s grandma and not some other relative or babysitter, and watches the rest of the lesson. Jeno changes tactics, Chenle uses the kickboard and just practices kicking and breathing without the strokes and after a couple laps he gets the hang of it. Renjun has to stop himself from fistpumping, but he can’t stop his smile. Chenle goes a couple more laps like that before they introduce arms, which he nails. Renjun never thought he would be so excited about a five year old figuring out free-style but here he is, proudly texting the family group chat and seriously considering taking Chenle out for ice-cream as a reward. Maybe the Parks can come too. 

Chenle joins the rest of the group for ring diving and free-swim, Renjun checks his phone, plays some mini-games in Tamagotchi, watches Hyuck’s Insta story, his hair looks especially Dorito-like, he’s sure to tell him in his DM’s. He feels eyes on him and he looks up and is caught once again in Jeno’s stare, this feels familiar at least, half the time Renjun looks up from his books it’s because Jeno was spacing out looking at him. Renjun always has fun throwing a highlighter at him, or poking him hard with the eraser side of a pencil, he knows this is sort of flirting, but it always felt unserious, like flirting-lite, diet flirting if you will, like something fun to do but it didn’t need to be more. But now, with half a pool in between them Renjun can’t throw something at him or poke him. So he just stares back. It doesn’t feel very light. 

Jeno looks away when a kid runs into him, and Renjun looks away immediately, his face on fire. The class ends, the kids get out of the pool, and shuffle towards the locker rooms. Jeno dives in the water and quickly collects the remaining rings before surfacing again and getting out from the side closest to the bleachers. It’s no one's business but his own if Renjun watches the way his arms bulge as he pushes up and out. 

Some of the other parents stand up, making their way down to Jeno, signing their kids out and thanking him, a few go to his coworker who’s name Renjun doesn’t even know. Renjun waits for Mrs. Park, Jisung’s grandma as she gathers a sweater and a red and gold caine. She’s nice and smells like roses as Renjun helps her down the metal steps of the bleachers, and she’s on board with Renjun taking Chenle and Jisung for ice cream after, as long as Renjun puts his number in her flip phone, and writes down their address. He writes down their address in his notes app, as well as her favorite flavor that he manages to get out of her, peanut butter. 

She goes first to sign Jisung out and explain to Jeno, Mr. Lee, that Renjun will be taking him home while Renjun hangs back to text his family group chat the plan. Renjun can't wait, he’s going to take so many pictures; Chenle’s been talking about this Jisung kid forever and now Renjun is giving them a playdate. Chenle’s never gonna deny him Lele hugs ever again.

He’s the last one to sign a kid out because of all his talking, Jeno is just standing there, holding his clipboard waiting for him. His tattoo looks even more interesting up close. He snaps out of it. Renjun speed walks over holding out his ID, an apology on the tip of his tongue. 

“I’m so sorry I was just talking to-” And then, right then and not a moment after, a child from another class,  _ not _ obeying the no running rule, crashes into his legs on the way to the locker room. Renjun goes careening, his ancient Vans failing to get any traction, he drops his ID in an effort to counterbalance, fall on the floor instead, anything, but then he sees it, water stretching out under him, fuck. 

He closes his eyes tight, already bracing for impact when suddenly he’s jerked out of the air, and pulled tight to a warm bare chest. Renjun looks up and into Jeno’s worried brown eyes, searching his own, behind him he can hear a lifeguard yell “No running!”

“Thanks,” Renjun says, his own voice breathless. Jeno squeezes his arms once and then lets go. Renjun takes a step back, no longer pressed against Jeno, but closer than he’s ever consciously got to him. Jeno opens his mouth, and then closes it, Jeno opens it again but Renjun beats him to it, “No, really thank you, I can't swim you saved me, thank you.” He’s a little uncomfortable to know he means every word. 

“If you had gone in, I would have gotten you.” Jeno says, immediately and then blushes. “Uh, because it’s my job,” he tacks on. 

“Well still, thank you. Here I’ll just,” Renjun bends down and picks up the fallen clipboard and pen, “I’ll get out of your hair.” He signs his name, he thinks about putting his phone number but this is definitely the type of thing that gets turned into a main office and also Renjun isn’t feeling very brave, his heart still racing with the shock of almost falling in. 

He hands the clipboard back to Jeno, who looks like he’s still recovering. Rebooting. Jeno blinks and then he smiles again, tentatively, “ID?” 

Oh yeah, he lost it in the stumble, he crouches down, checks the floor, the tiles, but he doesn't see it, and then there, through the shifting water glinting at the bottom of the pool, his sixteen year old pink hair mocks him. “Fuck.” 

Jeno follows his line of sight and makes a little sound that Renjun recognizes as a very Jeno sound from the library, sort of shocked but also understanding. Jeno puts his clipboard and pen down again and then he just dives into the water, half splashing Renjun on his way in. And then he’s emerging again, right in front of Renjun, his elbows on the poolside, Renjun’s ID in hand. 

“Thank you.” Renjun reaches for it but Jeno holds it out of reach, grinning. 

“Now just hold on, I’m not sure I should give this to you, how do I know this belongs to you?” 

Renjun laughs in disbelief, “Jeno, you watched me drop it in.” 

“I don’t know about that, at the time of the incident I had my hands full.” He raises his eyebrows in a way that makes Renjun laugh again. 

“Okay, okay, how do I prove it to you?”

“Easy, answer some questions only  _ the  _ Renjun Huang would know the answers to.” 

“Shoot.” 

“What table do you sit at in the library?” 

“Back left, under the staircase. Sometimes a rude boy gets there before me though.” Jeno ignores the dig. 

“What is Renjun Huang’s favorite color?” 

“I say it’s yellow or orange, but I don’t actually have a favorite.” Jeno hums at that. 

“Lastly, what are-” he cuts himself off abruptly and Renjun wonders why when suddenly there's a weight on his back almost sending him toppling into the water,  _ again _ . Renjun shrieks, full body shrieks, which makes the little weight on his back erupt into hiccupy, high pitched giggles, Renjun looks behind him. 

“Lele! You gave me a heart attack!” Chenle only laughs harder, Jisung joining him. At least Jisung didn’t join Chenle on his back . He doesn't know if he has the strength to counter balance  _ two _ five year olds. Renjun wiggles Chenle off so he can turn around and tickle him, his hair is still wet hanging in his face and it shakes with him when he laughs. 

He turns back to Jeno, “Sorry, what were you going to say?” Jeno only shakes his head and hands Renjun his license. 

“I’ll see you in the library.” He smiles but he still sort of looks like he wants to say something. Chenle tugs on Renjun’s arm, a yank incoming so Renjun only has time for a quick farewell.

“Thanks again Jeno!” Before he’s being steered out by Chenle and Jisung, one arm for each boy. 

Jisung gets put in Chenle’s booster seat just fine, but installing the extra one from the trunk for Chenle is where he runs into issues. Renjun quite literally is getting a degree in physics, it should not be that hard to install a car seat, and yet it feels impossible. He fiddles with it (why are there so many latches) for what feels like forever and might only be five minutes before he gets it right. It takes another two minutes before he gets Chenle secure, he won’t sit still and he’s mad about having to use his old one but eventually he is coaxed. 

Renjun closes the sliding door of his family’s van and leans his back against it, he hasn’t even gotten to the ice cream shop yet and he’s already exhausted, already feeling outmatched. It’s not even that Jisung is such a handful, he’s pretty quiet but Chenle around Jisung is like ultra Lele, a Lele that will never run out of energy. He sags against the door, absorbing the energy from the sun warmed metal like a plant trying to photosynthesize with a space heater. It isn’t really working. 

He’s about to get in the driver seat and get the show on the road, he swears he will just after he counts to ten, and then he hears it. 

“Renjun! Renjun Huang! Wait up!” It’s Jeno, quickly running across the parking lot, shoelaces untied and flying behind him, yelling his name. Renjun startles, but then he jogs to meet him. 

They meet maybe twenty feet from the car, and Renjun grabs onto Jeno’s arm. He’s panting, he must have sprinted all the way from the pool. Renjun’s half scared he might just run through him. 

“Chenle’s” he gasps, “bag.” He pushes the mesh of Chenle’s drawstring towards Renjun with a tightly clenched fist. Gratitude washes over him, in a wave that smells like chlorine and Jeno’s coconut shampoo. Jeno with extra mechanical pencils at the ready, Jeno who pulled him back from humiliation and a potential drenching, Jeno who will sprint to bring a bag of Renjun’s little brother’s goggles and dirty swimsuit. 

He squeezes Jeno’s bicep appreciatively, “Thank you. You didn’t have to do all that.” 

“I wanted to.” 

“Still, Thanks.” Renjun shifts back. 

“Wait!” Jeno looks at him and his eyes are wild, like a deer in headlights, or someone caught under a tractor beam. Frozen yet frantic. 

“Yeah?” A weird hope fills his chest before he can quelle it. 

“I, you-” 

“You, me?” 

“You never let me ask my third question!” It hangs in the air for a second before Jeno strikes it down and plows on, “But that doesn’t matter but. But, how grateful are you?” Jeno grabs Renjun’s hand that was on his arm in both of his, warm and dried out from the chemicals in the pool. “How grateful Renjun?”

Every word abandons Renjun in a great betrayal but he catches and holds on to the ones he can before they can run away from him too, “Yes! I mean very, I’m really thankful, really, really thankful Jeno. How can I show you?”

“I wanted to ask before what you were doing after this,” static noise fills Renjuns head but he still manages to catch what he says next, “but now, I just want to ask, would you like to go out with me sometime? Somewhere with no books, or college, or kids running allowed?” 

“No running,” Renjun says, because his mouth runs faster than his brain can catch up. 

“Somewhere that rule is actually observed. What do you say Renjun?” His eyes are hopeful but his eyebrows are pinched with worry, Renjun wants to smooth them out with delicate fingers. 

“Yes” and then, “yeah lets do that! What are you doing right no-” Renjuns cut off by bangs on the window, and then he remembers he left two five year olds unsupervised in a locked car. “Wait, fuck” 

Jeno laughs, bright and even clearer in the open space of the parking lot. Renjun can’t help laugh with him. 

“Maybe tomorrow?” Jeno suggests. 

Renjun squeezes his hand one last time before turning back to his car, he shouts over his shoulder, “It’s a date pool boy!” 

Jeno’s laughter replays in his head constantly keeping him company. In the noisy ice cream shop, when Jisung spills half a chocolate shake on him, while typing up his lab report, the next day through his lectures, until he can hear it again the next night. It’s even better live. 

**Author's Note:**

> ;-; I never write any thing like this so I hope you were able to enjoy it!! I had a lot of fun writing the texting!!
> 
> Come yell at me on CC: [X](https://curiouscat.me/translixie)  
> I have a twitter!(Minors DNI): [X](https://twitter.com/translixie)


End file.
